Birthday
January 10, 2016
Today 70-something.com is eight years old. Normally, I use its anniversary to check on whether I’ve done what I’ve set out to do in my blog. But this year, I want to note two ways that I have gained from writing it.
First, I can see how I’ve changed over the past eight years. Writing is a gift to myself, a gift of reflection and self-understanding. For example, my retirement two years ago was a watershed, and I see its effects in my blog posts. More and more, as I grow older, I seem to focus on how to enrich my life and the lives of those I love. In a way, this blog is a legacy.
Second, even though I don’t know most of my readers, they have become my friends through their comments, and I am grateful that they stick with me. Recently, when I bemoaned my unsuccessful search for gray flannel pants with waistbands—a staple of my wardrobe that needed replacing--I was delighted that eight readers wrote me with suggestions.
In late fall, I wrote an article, I Blog, Therefore I Am, for the literary journal Pangyrus. In it I wrote about how and why everyone can benefit from blogging. Although I write 70-something to help others process aging, no doubt, the biggest beneficiary has been me.
Happy birthday blog and Judy!!
Posted by: Siobhan | January 10, 2016 at 08:27 AM
I agree. I have been blogging for less than a year, but already feel that it is one of my best ventures. I think I was verging on boredom with my life before I started, but my blog has certainly looked after that! The day (and my life) is full!
Posted by: Still the Lucky Few | January 11, 2016 at 09:15 AM
Eight years of blogging is worth celebrating! I agree that writing is a gift and that gift comes in the form of our reflections and seeing our growth. Congratulations!
Posted by: Jean R. | January 12, 2016 at 04:31 PM
This is the first time i am posting a comment but i have been an ardent admirer of your writing ever since i stumbled upon your blog site accidentally quite a few months ago. i owe a lot of my smiles to you. Thanks for the gift and keep them coming!
Posted by: Veena | January 12, 2016 at 11:51 PM